Ovation v. Solstice

[hopebh]

We are looking at Australia cruises for December 2020 and are a little stumped.  We can't decide between the Jr Suite on the Ovation or the Concierge Balcony on the Solstice.  The cost between the two of them is close enough that its not a factor and the itineraries are both cool enough that they aren't really a factor either.   It comes down to the ship experience and since we haven't been on huge Royal ships or Celebrity, we are at a loss. 

 

We will be Diamond on Royal after our next cruise if that helps.

 

Which would you choose?

 

TIA

[blackshirt]

I’ve not been on those ships but I have been on sister ships (Equinox and Anthem). Both are beautiful ships. The jr suite on Ovation would be a larger room than the concierge balcony. For the same price, I’d go with that plus you will get double points.

[actuarian]

22 minutes ago, blackshirt said:

I’ve not been on those ships but I have been on sister ships (Equinox and Anthem). Both are beautiful ships. The jr suite on Ovation would be a larger room than the concierge balcony. For the same price, I’d go with that plus you will get double points.

I agree although I would point out that being in Concierge Class also gets you extra points (in the Captain's Club).  However, the Ovation JS is much more spacious and includes dinner access to Coastal Kitchen.  Concierge Class does not include any benefit that is comparable to Coastal Kitchen (but Aqua Class does).  In fact, the only significant benefits of Concierge Class that I have seen are early boarding on embarkation day and the special embarkation day lunch.  On the other hand, if Aqua Class is available for the same price or only a few dollars more than Concierge Class (as is often the case), that might change everything.  My wife and I love dining at Blu, the Aqua Class restaurant.  Access to Blu is guaranteed for Aqua Class guests whereas several posters in these boards have suggested that dinner at Coastal Kitchen for JS guests requires reservations, which are not guaranteed to be available.

[hopebh]

Thanks for the quick replies.

 

The Aqua Class would be about 1k more. 

 

I should point out that although the cabin cost (for the Concierge Cabin) costs about the same as the Ovation Jr Suite, depending on the reservation type, Celebrity comes with the 2 (or 3) perks that would cover gratuities, drinks and (probably) internet.  

 

Considering I just paid $943 for the drink package on the upcoming cruise, the free drinks have value.  

[bonsai3s]

5 hours ago, actuarian said:

I agree although I would point out that being in Concierge Class also gets you extra points (in the Captain's Club).  However, the Ovation JS is much more spacious and includes dinner access to Coastal Kitchen.  Concierge Class does not include any benefit that is comparable to Coastal Kitchen (but Aqua Class does).  In fact, the only significant benefits of Concierge Class that I have seen are early boarding on embarkation day and the special embarkation day lunch.  On the other hand, if Aqua Class is available for the same price or only a few dollars more than Concierge Class (as is often the case), that might change everything.  My wife and I love dining at Blu, the Aqua Class restaurant.  Access to Blu is guaranteed for Aqua Class guests whereas several posters in these boards have suggested that dinner at Coastal Kitchen for JS guests requires reservations, which are not guaranteed to be available.

 

Agree with actuarian...extremely good points.

We have sailed on both the Solstice and the Ovation.

Loved both........after much thought, we would choose the Ovation.

Our personal opinion: The JS on the Ovation is bigger, and yes, you do get access to Coastal Kitchen for dinner only and when available.  If you eat dinner late like we do, we've never been denied access to Coastal Kitchen.

To the OP, congratulations to becoming Diamond...enjoy your perks.  If you choose to sail Celebrity, you'll be Elite.  Happy Sailing! ☺️

[The_Big_M]

The difference in ship cabins has been pretty much covered.

 

However, the ships themselves are quite different, relatively speaking.

 

Ovation has a much more modern, and tech feel, and has much more in the way of activities. If you like being active, or like tech, this would be more a goer. I love 270, and the robot displays, on this ship. It does have the solarium which is excellent as a pool space.

 

Solstice OTOH is more like a quiet, refined hotel. If you like lounging by the pool, and modern hotel foyer feelings, with some music and limited activities, this would be more appealing. It lacks all the activities of RCL e.g. dodgem, disco, plus the usual RCL. You'll just have bingo and limited trivia as the only activities, with a smaller activity staff.